Ignite The Fire

The Katie Hogan Seminar For People Who Can’t Lift Good And Want To Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too!

June 22 & 23, 9am-6pm, Crossfit Annandale

At The Katie Hogan Seminar For People Who Can’t Lift Good and Want to Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too, I’m interested in helping athletes in all aspects of their training. I currently train about a dozen athletes via online distance coaching and I find myself answering email upon email each month from strangers with questions about their training. By creating this seminar I hope to reach more people and help others be better.

What we will do: For those wondering, the basic breakdown is a combination of lecture and Q&A combined with practical sessions of warm-up, lifting session, metcon workout, and cool down spaced throughout the day.

Why it will be awesome: Each participant will have hours of hands-on coaching and will learn not only how to move better, but also how to structure their training to see the results they want.

*warm-ups: what’s the real goal and how to structure it around your workout

*lifting: breakdown of technique and how to have a productive strength day no matter what

*training: how to create a workout and how to effectively use Buy-Ins and Cash-Outs

*programming: learn to structure workouts over time so as to reach short and long term goals of the program

Katie will teach you to lift weights good!

Many athletes have discovered that being strong is an area of weakness for them. No matter what their goals are, being stronger seems to always be an underlying theme when people seek me out for training advice.

Technique and program design are a huge part of the Katie Hogan Seminar. Athletes will lift weights, be coached on how to get out of bad positions, and learn how to construct a strength program for their athletes.

Katie will give you tools to help others lift weights good!

We will break down how to design a day of training and how to fit that in to a week of programming. There are countless ways to design a program; I will give you some tools I have found useful for myself and with my athletes.

Katie will discuss other fitnessy things you can do good!

In addition to being stronger, athletes are seeking a comprehensive program that includes daily metabolic conditioning, skillwork, recovery, and nutrition.

We will also hit a workout and a dose of skillwork to round out the day. With more hands-on coaching and cuing, athletes will improve their movements and take home new drills to train others.

If you’re interested please contact me at itf.fitness@gmail.com

Ask Katie: injuries

Hi Katie! Did you ever have bad times?! You know, when injuries seem to appear each and every day!! Just as you though it’s finally over, something else comes up! Not even sore muscles, just pain! Tendons, joints… even nerves!! I’ve been working so darn hard for the last two months, PR after PR to be ready for the Opens, and now it seems my body is shutting down!

Patricia

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Hi Patricia,
You know, I have felt that at times. It’s a tough position to be in. You can’t ignore injuries, but you also can’t let them get the best of you. 

If you’ve been hitting PRs regularly, then it sounds like your training program is dialed in. How is your recovery program? What is your plan to recover from specific injuries? And what can you change to help minimize pain in joints and other tissue? 

For me it starts with nutrition, hydration, and sleep. That goes further with supplements like fish oil, and by smashing my body before and after workouts. I can’t expect my body to handle regular beatings/workouts with also getting regular massage, self-myofascial release, and ART work done.

Most importantly is keeping the right attitude. Easier said than done if recurring pain has sidelined your training and left you feeling discouraged. If you can take action to change something about your current situation you will feel empowered. Remember that this IS temporary and you CAN heal yourself.
Good luck to you!

Ask Katie: THE OPEN!

Katie,

Good Afternoon! I hope all has been well since last we spoke. I have made lots of gains in the past few months and have decided to register for the 2013 Crossfit Games Open. I was wondering what advice you would give (either mental or physical) that would be beneficial to myself or anyone competing this year. 

Best Wishes,

Craig

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Hi Craig,

Ask Katie - Power Cleans

Q: Hi Katie, Just found this site and I think its awesome, all the advice you give is really useful actually works! My question is regarding the power clean, when I get up to heavier weight my feet get farther apart every rep, by the time I hit 255 and up my feet are past where I set up for a sumo deadlift. I was wondering if this happens to you and is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening?

Thanks you for any help you can give.

John

A: Hi John,

The problem you’re having with catching with your feet too wide is very common. In fact, at heavier weights, I have the same problem.

What’s happening is your body finding a way to get lower. Think of a split jerk: in order to get under the weight, we split our legs to make us lower. With your wide catch power clean you’re effectively doing the same thing. The solution is practicing pulling into a squat clean. That way, as the weights get heavier you catch lower, not wider. The widest your feet need to go on a clean is your squat stance. To work on pulling yourself down instead of catching wide, I would practice with a dowel or empty bar. From the hang, jump with straight arms, then pull your body down and under the bar, catching in a front squat. Sounds simple enough, but drilling the basics like this has been very helpful for me.

Good luck!

Katie

Breaking Down

Bent over, hands on my knees, head down. Trying to focus on what’s in front of me, trying to move past the feeling of doubt, trying to stop the negative thoughts. I close my eyes, I stand back up, tears in my eyes I can’t see the goal anymore, it’s clouded by frustration, disappointment, and feelings of failure. I’ve stopped myself before I even had a chance to succeed, to win.

For me, winning in sports doesn’t happen in the game or after 3-2-1-Go, it happens weeks before, months before, when I find myself lost in the middle of my training. Confused, doubtful, anxious, angry, and broken down by my thoughts I hear training partners and coaches tell me to shake it off, to not be so hard on myself, to focus on the positive. I hear their words. I understand their message, but I’m buried. I’m told once more that I have a choice: stop the negative, destructive, self-talk, or lose.

Breaking down. That’s the best way I can describe it. I feel like I crumble from the inside out. I will beat myself before the clock even starts, before I touch the bar. It’s something I’ve struggled with for a long time; all the way back through high school, and possibly before that I don’t know. I remember in track and field when I was throwing the discus for my high school state-qualifying meet. My warm-ups were shaky so I got frustrated with myself and continued to do worse through all three of my competition throws. They each fell at least 75ft short of where I would normally be. I couldn’t stand the disappointment I was to myself and broke down. I remember that feeling so well. I feel it in my training now more and more. I break myself down again and again.

It’s not the Open, it’s not Regionals, it’s not the Games. It’s now. It’s right in front of me. It’s not the workout, it’s not the other competitors, it’s not the pain. It’s me.

Now I am realizing a parallel in my training program. I started Crossfit and found initial success in competition off of pure power and little technique. I had raw strength and could find a way to keep moving through workouts on that alone. As the game has escalated, so has my training. Things had to be re-evaluated and the lack of technique I had gotten by on for so long had to change.

I changed my positions first. I started over. I relearned how to squat, deadlift, press. I relearned how to stand properly and how to control my body better. Then I started to reconstruct my running mechanics, then my rowing mechanics. I started to rebuild my Olympic lifting from the ground up. I started to create a foundation in my gymnastics by revisiting the basics. I broke down every aspect of my game to the bare bones and asked myself to perform at my best. And I wanted to be better than my best. I’ve been focusing my training on breaking myself down so that I could be rebuilt stronger, faster, and more efficient. It was the only way to get me to reach my goals of being the best. However, I’ve broken myself down mentally in the process.

This is where I am now, and it’s not where I want to be, I need to find a way to dig myself out. I don’t know how. It’s not a switch I’ve been able to turn off in the past, or a volume button I’ve been able to turn down much. I know it can be done. I’m going to find out how.

Ask Katie: Competition

Katie,

I am in the Army and currently located in Texas. I crossfit at a box there and I have absolutely fallen in love. I began training in August 2012. Since then, I have made enormous strides. Which is basically why I am emailing you, I would like to compete in March. There a few movements I am working on to prepare myself, handstand walks, bar muscle-ups, etc. but is there any advice you would be willing to offer me for my first competition? I have a lot of respect for you and the sport and any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

D

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Hi D,

Ask Katie: carbohydrates?

• Tracy:
  

  Quick Ques if you have time? I always read your posts, Why do you believe in keeping carbs so low when some people always say crossfit is derived off carbs when training? I always find a hard balance whether should eat carbs such as sweet potatoes, brown rice or just veggies for carb intake?
  Thanks
• 
  
• ____________________________________________
  
  
  Katie:
  
  

  Hi Tracy,

  Thanks for the question! I believe in adjusting the timing of carbohydrates almost more than the quantity. It’s funny to think I keep such a “low carb” intake with high intensity training, but it’s all about how much carbohydrate my body actually needs (vs what I want) and when I eat those carbohydrates so as to best utilize them for exercise (and not bodyfat stored).

  I know that might sound a bit vague. I’ve learned a lot about my body, how I perform best, and what fuel is required to do what I need to in training, and feel recovered the next day. I admit it is very different from everything I used to do/read/hear. And I do believe that everyone is different and everyone needs to make slight adjustments for their lifestyle, body, training, recovery, etc.

  I have done away with carbohyrdrates in the morning, I keep a relatively minimal intake throughout the day and it has made a huge difference in my energy levels and performance in the gym (both are UP!). Keep in mind, I’m still getting plenty of fuel through protein and fat. As well as supplementing with BCAAs, and TONS of water to keep me hydrated all day.

  

  Again, it’s not a one-size-fits-all plan, but I think a lot of people would be surprised by how they feel and their results in the gym when using this nutrition plan properly.

  Thanks for reading!

  Katie

  

  Artisana 100% Organic Raw Coconut Oil Extra Virgin — 16 fl oz

  

  MusclePharm BCAA 3:1:2 240 Ct.

Holiday Eating!

Ok I’m gonna go totally typical trainer topic on you (man that was some good alliteration) and hit you with this because its important.
Christmas cookies are here.  I’m so FREAKing excited (like this: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/surprise-party/1119104/) because the one thing I love more than eating Christmas cookies, is baking them.  Annnnd I’m not gonna lie, thanks to my mom I bake some pretty amazing Christmas cookies.  Like, seriously.

Knowing that there are all kinds of fun holiday temptations at work, and parties, and Starbuckses…I need a plan that keeps me on track but let’s me enjoy myself too.

Katie’s Christmas Cookie Food Plan:

-eat every 2hours
Despite traveling a lot and a different schedule from day to day, I make sure to eat every 2-3 hours throughout the day.  This keeps the metabolism burning and ready for the next meal all day long.  If I don’t eat enough throughout the day, my body is going to want to hold on to any excess calories (in the form of Christmas cookies) that I feed it later in the day.

-protein at every meal
Eliminate excess carbohydrates throughout the day.  In fact, I cut out nearly all carbohydrates during the day, “saving” them for the evening.   I stick to protein and fat all day long and then in the evenings I will eat some carbohydrates.  This keeps my body burning fat and protein for fuel and controls my carb intake to levels that support exercise but not body fat (which is part of Coach Glassman’s prescription for proper nutrition).

-train everyday
In order to stay lean and performing at my best, I need to burn off any excess carbohydrates that aren’t helping to sustain exercise.  This means getting into the gym everyday and training hard.  My training schedule throughout the holidays needs to be maintained if not broadened to get in a little more.

-protein before cookies
Before I get to eat cookies I first need to eat 20g of protein.  Sometimes I’ll just make a protein shake, usually I will have just had dinner so I get my protein there.

What the plan is really about is staying disciplined throughout the day, so that I have flexibility on some nights.  This is different from a lot of traditional nutrition recommendations of no carbs at night, but I have been eating like this for over a year (minus the holiday treats) with increased gains in performance and overall loss of bodyfat.  I subscribe a similar plan (not many cookies…) to many of my clients as well.

And remember: No slipping and having a mocha latte frappicino because you were tempted by Starbucks, or some kind of “Paleo” muffin because someone baked and brought them to gym.

So tell me: what’s your holiday fun food plan?

Here are some holiday workout pictures “from the vault”

Becca and Katie’s Holiday Workout (circa 2009)

“penguin walks”

“snowball slams”

“jingle bell swings”

…and Yes, we’re wearing tree skirts as actual skirts.

Ask Katie

From: KerriAnn

Date: September 21, 2012 2:02:04 PM PDT

To: itf.fitness@gmail.com

Subject: Hand Rips

Katie,

I need help with my hands. They rip constantly! Wearing gloves does not give me enough grip on the bar to kip my 160lb self around and tape isn’t cutting it. I have tried every youtube video for hand taping and have made up my own. I bought rocktape cause I saw everyone was using it on their hands at the games and even that didn’t help (although it really help my strained hamstring). I rip every pull up and toes to bar work out, which then affects my workouts throughout the week. Is there anything out there that I can do?

KerriAnn 

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Yikes!  Sounds painful.  I had a similar experience when I first started Crossfit and I see it with athletes all the time.  I’ll recommend a couple things to try.  First, be mindful of where you put chalk and how much you use.  I was over-chalking my hands and that led to some problems.  When you chalk, that causes your hand to stick to the bar.  When you kip and your hand is moving and sliding a lot, but the skin of your palm is stuck to the bar, you get a tear.  Keep that in mind.

Secondly, you may need to make some slight adjustments to your kip and how you hold the bar.  Try grabbing the bar with a “pseudo false grip” with your calluses over the top of the bar.  It may be tough to hold on at first, but you can develop good grip strength here.  As you kip, you can work a simple re-grip or recovery position during the moment of weightlessness and that will allow you to maintain that grip throughout multiple reps. As I swing forward I have a slightly looser grip, as I come back behind the bar I re-grip to the pseudo false grip and pull.

Carl Paoli explains it awesomely.

Check it out!

http://gymnasticswod.com/content/bar-kip-progression

http://gymnasticswod.com/content/kipping-pull-progression

Good luck!

Katie

Check out Rich Froning on the cover of Muscle & Fitness

http://www.muscleandfitness.com/features/athletes-and-celebrities/fittest-man-alive-decembers-muscle-fitness